“Show patience and consideration towards other road users while driving,” advised N. Poovalingam, a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) driver who was honoured for serving for 21 years without any accident.
Sharing his experience at the Road Safety Week celebrations organised at the bus depot here on Saturday, the driver, attached to the Rameswaram branch, advised his colleagues to obey traffic rules.
Three other drivers from Rameswaram branch — N. Raveendran, R.Kalidoss and K.Mohamed Rafiq — were also awarded prizes for serving without causing accident for 12, 11 and nine years respectively. A. Sakthivel (Ramnad-urban) and G. Selvaraj (Paramakudi) were also honoured for serving without causing an accident for eight years.
Twelve drivers, who achieved the best mileage per litre of diesel (5.88 km to 6.85 km), six technicians who helped to achieve the best mileage and six conductors who earned maximum revenue for the corporation were also awarded prizes at the function.
Speaking at the function, Collector in-charge S. Viswanathan said roads were not expanded in commensurate with increasing vehicle population but still drivers had to adjust to the existing conditions and avert accidents.
Despite an increased awareness of road safety and traffic rules, drivers violated the rules causing accidents. Use of mobile phones while driving and drunk driving caused more accidents, he said.
Additional Superintendent of Police S. Velladurai, said fatal accidents had come down by 30 per cent this year in the district compared to last year and this was a great achievement.
The police would be fair while registering accident cases, involving state transport corporation buses, he said reacting to charges that police were biased.
M.M.Subramanian, General Manager, Karaikudi division, said the average accidents involving buses operated in the division came down from 7 during 2012-13 to just two so far during 2013-14, thanks to an increased awareness and yoga and stress management courses offered to the drivers.
R. Samuel Jothiraj, Deputy Manager (Technical), Karaikudi, I. Sheik Mohamed, Regional Transport Officer, R. Yogarajan, Divisional Manager, Ramanathapuram, and leaders of various trade unions addressed the function.
